How I F@*%ed up my hair...and what you can do to prevent the tears!

Its been a while!!!! I have been out of commission and kept busy by LIFE! Nonetheless, I have entered a new phase in my hair journey. the other day i had it out and a male friend took an admiring look and declared that my hair was looking good. I was chuffed! I have come a long way from when I @#$$@# up my hair!!!
Ok lemme explain. 2009 was the year. I was living in England and it was almost the end of summer. I relaxed my hair and it was the longest I had ever seen it. (Shoulder length..rolls eyes!) Anywho i was like "whaaaaat" and decided I would rosk all the hottest styles I could. And so I did. Grabbed my tongs and got the cutests looks. I didnt use any heat protection and I tonged it every single day. All fair and fine until a few months later when I moved to SA and my hair had alot of growth, yes it was long but I had majorly thin ends. No bueno!
I have since stopped the relaxers because my hair cant take it. But thinking of this episode got me thinking of all my hair sins, and what you can do to prevent going down the same path!

1) I would relax my hair and have it braided on the same day. Awful stuff. Why did I ever do that? If you do want to relax and then braid, make sure you give your hair lots of TLC after the relaxer and give it at least 2 weeks before you braid it up
2) I never deep conditioned my hair before braiding. This is essential to give your hair some strength and nourshment before braiding it up for long periods of time.
3) I never took care of my hair while it was braided up. Like alot of students in my time, I would go to Zim, get the cutest braids and forget about my hair fr the whole semester. While braids can be a great protective style, your hair is only protected if you take care of it even while in braids. Moisturise daily, wash weekly etc.
4) I changed hairstyles often...way too often! this meant my hair never had time to rest and was breaking every time I manipulated it.
5) I once colored my hair the same day I got a relaxer...by now we should know that this again is no bueno, Mixing chemical treatments on the same day is not ideal. Again, give your hair time to get stronger....
6) I never did deep conditioning treatments. I viewed this as some sort of extravagance or means for stylists to siphon more money out of clients. wrong! Deep conditioning is not necesarily expensive and I now condition with common household ingredients when I want to save a few pennies. Plus this practise is essential in any hair growth regimen.

I identify these as my worst hair blunders over the year. while my hair is on its way to health, it has taken a while to repair some of the damage I did. Some parts of my hair will never be repaired and that is as a direct consequence of my own actions.
 BUT I am happy that I have learnt to treat my hair like delicate silk and am loving the results day by day.
As I keep updating my blog I will share some of my own experiences as well as my friends and family in this hair journey.
Sharing is caring....
Stay blessed!

Love
B

PS..next blog post, I review joico KPak Intense Hydrator

Been gone too long....

Hello ladies,

 I trust you are all well. It's been a while, time just got the better of me and I have yet to update the site. But I have some exciting news, we will have a new site in the next few months.
Have also been busy getting my hair business together. A few teething problems but God has been good and I'm moving forward,so thank you to all who have supported my business. I am looking to making the process even better.
I'm off to bed now but will defo be blogging more!
Love
Bella
X

Black Hair Doesnt Grow????!!!???

A little teaser for one post I am excited to do. Disproving the myths that black women cannot grow long hair. This is LT, my cousin (we have parents who are twins! aint that cute?), I took these pictures last week 28 December 2011, She has beautiful relaxed hair which i would say is around BSL(bra strap length) and yes she is black as you can see. Born and bred in Africa just like me.

 So who says with a little TLC we cant also grow lovely healthy hair like LT? She has relaxed hair and has learnt to properly maintain that relaxed hair to retain length and thicken it....So look out for the post where I will chat to her and get her regimen and tips that she has used on her hair journey....

Castor Oil.....one of my favourite oils.....

Hi everyone,

So I wrote before that I would do a post about castor oil. I have recommended this oil to a few people who have used it and see some good results.
One of the things that I will say about any product is that check first that you aren't allergic to it. Do a patch test and see if your skin reacts to it. This is something you must do with any product you apply to your skin or hair. The second thing I would like to say is that most products dont work overnight. You won't use castor oil today and wake up to have luxurious hair tomorrow. Give it some time. I say maybe try it for about a month or two and see how your hair is responding to it.

So whats the fuss about castor oil? isnt that the stuff that people take when they are sick?! yes it is!
 But castor oil is an ingredient also found in many of our cosmetic products.....

Castor oil it cleanses the scalp by removing dirt and bacteria that clog up the scalp (this clogging up is what causes dandruff). It also has healing properties that can cure scalp infections. It is a natural emollient, meaning it hydrates your hair while healing the scalp.

Benefits of castor oil:

• stimulates hair growth
• thickens hair
• moisturises hair and scalp
• contributes to overall health of scalp and hair

ok cool, so now we know what it is and what it can do for our hair...HOW do we use it?
There are so many ways to make use of this oil:

• to seal in moisture-after using your daily moisturiser, lightly dip your fingers in the oil and use to coat the hair
• to moisturise the scalp -try using it once or twice a week to give your scalp a good massage. try not to be heavy handed with the oil. its a thick oil so I usually mix it with coconut oil. Some people have sensitive scalps and will definitely need to dilute it or possiblyavoid using it on their scalps completely
• to deep condition hair-either use it on its own as a deep conditioner or add it to your normal deep conditioner to make it more potent.

So where do we get this oil? In South Africa I found castor oil in pharmacies and shops like Pick n Pay. You can find it along with medicines or other natural oils. I would think its also available in Zim shops and pharmacies.
You can also use Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I find this oil is even better than the refined version. It is unrefined, its also thick but has a brownish or golden colour depending on the brand you get. I got a bottle of Tropic Isle Living JBCO from my cousin who came through from the US. I'm loving it so far., I use it on my thinning edges, and also to add to my weekly deep condish.
My old bottle of Yards JCBO was running low.
If you are in the UK you can order from SheaButter Cottage. I have used them before and have always had good service. I have not used them internationally though.

So give it a try if you are looking to thicken your hair or to try and stimulate growth......its worth a go. check it out :)

In other news....I got my bottle of Morrocan Oil today. (It smells nyom! by the way) I got it from feelunique.co.uk. I love this site! they do free deliveries, whats not to love about that? So I will be trying out the oil when I get back to SA a be doing the review in a few months when i have formed an opinion on it :)

Love,peace and happiness!

Where have we been?!'

Ok so we have both been MIA for  while. What happened?....LIFE happened! Things got a bit crazy for a while but we will be making sure to upload new posts.

I have a lot of cool stuff to share...hairwise J I got my cousin to bring me a bottle of Jamaican Black Castor Oil from the States. I LUV it!!!! So I'm gonna do my next post discussing the benefits and uses of JBCO. A brief summary is that it is great for sealing as well as helping to regrow edges...i ain't mad at that! It is not yet readily available in Africa, so a good substitute is the refined castor oil you find in the stores. Yes, the same one your mum used to make you take as a child.lol! i never got that experience but have heard this remedy from many people.

As mentioned in previous posts I stopped relaxing in September 2009. I am so keen for my fro to just grow grow grow! The main frustration with natural hair, for me at least, is that even though it grows long, because it is kinky it appears shorter due to shrinkage. My hair falls below my shoulders when stretched but if i do a wash-n-go it looks about 8cm long L So i intend to use JBCO as a hair growth aid in 2012. I want to show off my fro by summer 2012. It is time.

I will also be stocking up on some products while i am on vacation. I am keen to get my hands on the Eco Styler gel so i can start rocking some nice styles in my hair. Probably the best part of my holidays are when i take a day to visit the hair shops in Finsbury Park,London. *cue choir singing...aaaaaaahhhhh* Pak’s Stores! They have a shop for wigs, another for weaves, another for products....oooh chile! I am in love with that place. So look forward to some product reviews. I know I said I would try and curb the product junkie within me but i just cant help myself! "Hi I'm Linda, and I'm a hair product junkie!"

5 things he loves about me and my (naptural) hair...a lil post for my kinky girls

1. The freshly washed smell…..now that I keep my hair nappy, it is cleaner than it has ever been. I love to wash it with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner. Oooooohweeeeee. It smells nyum! And he loves it! How about it? I traded the chemical smell of relaxers for the fresh smell of coconuts and strawberries!
2. It’s different….so I have been on a protective styling challenge this year, but when I unleash my hair he can’t keep his eyes off me. It’s like he’s looking at a different woman. With everyone rocking a weave, he loves the days I just let all the kinks out. He loves that I look different
3. My new attitude…. So there was a time I would never let a man see my real hair in less than “perfect” condition. If I was taking my braids out, my man wouldn’t see me that weekend!. That unruly hair was a secret for me, myself and I! But now I let it all out…my hair that is…wink wink! He gets to see me pick my fro and all the fun involved in it.
4. He can touch my hair. He can put his hands in it and not feel any tracks. I no longer have to deal with that embarrassment. You know when you get a weave and keep playing that duck n dive game every time he tries to run his hands through it? Yeah, that’s not me when my fro is out. He can touch it whenever. He loves that cottony feel….
5. Spontaneity! We can dive into a pool any time we feel like it. I can swim like a normal person and not like a dog trying to keep my head above the water. I don’t care about “sweating the style out”. Who cares? I wash it 2 to 3 times a week anyway. I’m free to do what I want when I want.

*The fine print*….yes, there is a catch! He also has to put up with hours of conversation about hair. Now he is a guy’s guy. And I know it must be real love as he endures my various crazy requests to “touch my hair!” , “smell my hair”…”take a picture of my hair”……..or “yeah please pick up bread, eggs, milk ….and Tresemme naturals conditioner!”. The poor man has had to endure spending the afternoon with a girl with a Pick n Pay plastic bag on her head as I deep condition my hair. Sometimes I just whip out the hold clingwrap mid-conversation and start wrapping my hair. Or sometimes when I have Jamaican Black Castor Oil in my hair, he has to deal with that smokey fragrance in my hair. lol! Have you ever watched someone put eggs in their hair? Eeeeewwww!

The product junkie in me cannot stop buying products. So every time he needs some Vaseline for his lips, he has to stand there in my bathroom for a good 5minutes, wading through the bottles and tubs and tubes.

But what I am grateful for is that he has been supportive in my healthy, natural hair journey. Not many men are. Some prefer their women to always have weaves down to their backs. But he is happy with whatever makes me happy. And he encourages me to wear it out and let the sun shine on my nappy head. 

I hope you enjoyed my take on natural hair in a relationship. The reality is that not all men embrace the natural hair look. Its up to you to decide how you wear your hair and how that fits in your relationship. Ultimately I believe confidence is very attractive. Your man may not necessarily like the kinks and frizz, but he will definitely love the confidence you have.....

Have a nappy happy day ladies!

How to grow your hair long!

Many of us want lovely long flowing locks. I won’t lie, that is the ultimate goal in my hair journey. I watched a Disney movie a few weeks ago, Rapunzel! She had looong shiny and strong hair. I want, I want! or hair like Yaya da Costa above, daaaayaaaamn!

But how do we achieve this? Is there some kind of potion we can apply that will magically grow our hair? Some kind of recipe that will allow the hair to sprout like Jack’s magic beans that turned into the giant stalk.

So firstly I have some bad(ish) news: there is nothing you can apply to your head or take in your body that will make your hair start magically growing to epic lengths. Ok now that’s out the way, keep reading for the reality……

Yes I said there is nothing you can do that will MAKE your hair grow. That’s because your hair is growing anyway! Even right now as you read this, it is growing. So why does it sometimes seem that our hair isn’t growing. Its easier to notice that your hair is growing when you relax your hair. You get new growth coming through, several centimeters at a time. You re-touch the hair then you see the extra length. BUT your hair doesn’t to be retaining that length. Cos by the end of the year your hair is the same length it was at the beginning, or in some cases shorter!

That leads us to the first point. Clearly our hair is always growing, but we need to retain that length!!!! What does that mean? How do we do that?

Retaining Length

We need make sure we keep the hair that is growing. The ends of your hair are the oldest parts. In our routine we need to make sure that we hold on to these. How do we start? I would say start with a fresh trim, especially if you have split ends. Since these cannot be repaired, you need to get rid of them to stop the damage.  The ends of our hair need to be moisturized and conditioned regularly.

Moisturize ad seal daily, and also do special oil treatments and deep condition to keep the ends healthy.

Another reason our ends can be unhealthy and breaking is that we leave them unprotected. Sometimes your hair rubs on the clothing you are wearing. It can rub on your collar and this can rob it of moisture and also hair can catch on your collar and break. Thus many women use protective styling to retain length. This means wearing your hair in a bun, where the ends are protected from the elements and your clothing. Some women do “damp bunning” before tying the hair up they apply moisture and put it in the bun. Some go a step further and cover the bun in plastic before putting a fake bun over it. This way you ends are being super moisturized throughout the day.

Other protective styles include wigs and braids. My personal favourite is corn-rowing my hair then

wearing a half-wig. It looks cute, and my ends are always protected from the elements.

So what’s the other way we can help our hair grow? By having a healthy scalp.

Scalp care

As I mentioned before you can’t apply something to your scalp to MAKE it grow. However, you can ensure that your scalp is an conducive environment for the growing of hair….huh? ok think of it like a field of maize. If the soil is not healthy, the maize will not grow to be healthy no matter how much fertilizer you apply to the soil.

The same applies to our hair. Start with a healthy scalp. When you follow a good regimen you will notice that your scalp will get healthier and healthier. Dandruff will be minimized or completely eliminated (I will do a dedicated post on this a later date). Hair grows at its maximum rate on a clean and healthy scalp.

Washing or co-washing your hair regularly will help keep it clean. Product build up on your scalp will clog the pores on your scalp and your hair will grow at a slower rate. Everyday our scalp sweats and attracts dirt too. We need to regularly clean the scalp. In my routine, I wash twice a week and a day after I wash the hair I apply a light natural oil such as coconut oil or jojoba oil. When I have braids or a weave in, I still wash it (will also do a post on how to do this) but I mix in peppermint oil into the scalp mix, this prevents dandruff and soothes the scalp. I also use Jamaican black castor oil on my scalp. It helps to draw out impurities from the hair.

However you can also get the refined castor oil in health shops and other shops such as Pick n Pay where I buy the brand called Hercules.  A word of note with the use of castor oil, as stated it draws out impurities from your scalp. Many women have reported how well it works for them, however for some with a sensitive scalp it can create a bit of sensitivity. In that case I would suggest diluting it in carrier oil such as olive or coconut. If that is not effective, I would say stop using it on you scalp. Perhaps you can try using it to seal your ends, and for your scalp try oil.

Part of scalp care….and I love this part…..is scalp massages. Your hair needs nutrients from your body to help it grow. These nutrients reach the scalp in its normal circulation function. One way to increase circulation on your scalp is to massage it. A gentle massage everyday or a few times a week will go a long way. It will help you relax at the same time too. Dab your fingers in your favourite oil and gently massage your scalp using your fingertips in small circular motions. Take care not to scratch your scalp with your fingernails.

And the last tip for growing long hair is to do it from the inside….

Healthy body=healthy hair

This is the most important part in my opinion. Ensuring that your body is healthy goes a long way in growing hair, after all hair is a reflection of internal health.

Having a healthy balanced diet is essential not only for you wellbeing but also for lovely shiny hair.

I also take a multivitamin to help me along. If you want to take supplements as well, talk to your doctor or pharmacist first, they will help you integrate this into your lifestyle and diet.

Part of body health is also exercise. I read an article from the States recently where the American Surgeon General expressed concern that black women may be sacrificing their health for their hair. He referred to the fact that African American women are hesitant to embark in exercise at times because they do not want to sweat or get their hair wet and ruin their hairstyle.

This made me sad. Our hair should not get in the way of our lives. It shouldn’t come to the point where you can’t jump in the pool with your kids because “mummy doesn’t want to get her hair wet. Its only hair, it will grow and you can always wash it. Don’t let the need to keep your locks in perfection prevent you from exercising and getting on with the rest of your life. So go on that jog, sweat it out in the sauna…your hair loves moisture! I will definitely be doing a post on African hair and exercise in the future.

I am a realist so I will also add that don’t expect your hair to grow over night. Hair grows an average of 1.25cm per month. This of course varies for each person, but you can see how long it takes to grow. Learn patience and I would avoid doing length checks too often. A watched pot never boils. Check up on length every 3 or 4 months and that will help you see how far its growing.

So that’s it! That’s how we can help our hair grow long and healthy. This is the basis of our hair care routine and we build upon these principles.